I need the sun to break
by geek-it-out
Summary: Inspired by the very talented Misslane's video, Earth 53, ( /www. youtube .com /watch?v TlFZGztkfvg&t 132s) Superman dies in an epic battle sacrificing his life to save the world and Lois finds out only weeks after that she is pregnant. Nine months later, a healthy baby girl is born and named Kara Joanne Kent. (I would write more but that would give it away)
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This story was inspired by the incredibly talented Misslane's video Earth 53. Look it up on youtube if you haven't already seen it. (This does not follow 100% to that video but it was the inspiration to make Kara the daughter of Lois and Clark.) FYI, I don't update often due to my schedule and a multitude of other reasons. If you have questions on this verse I have created, feel free to ask. And remember, comments are love._

 _Prologue - 26 Years Ago_

Lois stared up at the solar system mobile In Clark's childhood bedroom while she laid on his bed, tears rolling down the sides of her face. She just couldn't bear to be down stairs, to see him lying there in the casket and having all those people tell her how sorry they were for her loss. There were just certain things she couldn't handle, not that she thought there was much of anything else someone could say to ease the ache in her chest. Three short knocks on the door alerted her to someone else's presence and as the door opened she sat up. Clark's mother smiled sadly. "Hi," she said coming into the room. The redhead wiped the stray tears from her face. The steady stream had slowed significantly but the stains remained. She looked toward the older woman, Martha was holding a package and looking down at it and stroking it fondly with her thumbs.

"Clark had this sent here so he could surprise you," she handed the manila envelope the Lois. Tears pooled in her eyes as Martha cupped her cheek and the redhead covered the aging hand with her own as the tears slipped down her cheek once more.

Clark's mother caught the sob that threatened to burst from her mouth with her hand. Lois squeezed the hand that had been on her cheek moments ago and let the woman leave so she could grieve. Martha shut the door leaving her alone once more. Lois turned the package over a few times in her hands, wondering what it was, before she opened it.

A velvet bag was inside and her breath caught in her throat. Her thumbs ran over the smooth fabric, more tears threatened to fall. Her chest tightened. She took a breath and pulled apart the drawstring. A ring slipped out and landed in the redhead's palm. She picked it up between her thumb and forefinger and stared at it, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. It was a small princess cut solitaire set into a white gold band. It was simple but elegant. She curled her fingers around it in a tight grip and brought it to her chest allowing a choked sob to emit from her chest as she bowed her head.

She sat there until it was time to walk with Clark's casket to the family plot. Part of her wasn't sure she should put the ring on, part of her didn't want the reminder that he was gone on her finger. Lois stepped out onto the porch and gasped. The cold November Kansas air was biting. She pulled the lapels of her overcoat tighter and crossed her arms over her chest. The procession was gathered just outside the house and she had never seen so many people gathered for a funeral except for maybe the funeral held in Washington for Superman, but that casket was empty. She walked by people she knew and people she didn't; people Clark had helped or touched in some way in this small town or the surrounding areas. Lois took a deep breath and took her place next to Martha ignoring the pain shooting through her chest.

The three-person band behind them started to play Amazing Grace as a melodic voice sang the words. She felt her body erupt in goosebumps and shivered. The woman's voice was hauntingly beautiful with a soulful country twang. Her vision blurred, they played the same song at Superman's funeral only with bagpipes. When the tanks fired, she had flinched, she expected taps but not canons. Each blow seemed louder than the last. The roar of fighter jets boomed overhead. It was all so crazy and overwhelming for her but she had an inexplicable need to cover it for the Planet. When Perry asked her, she almost said no, but the reporter in her couldn't let anyone else do it.

She heard that Metropolis held a candlelight vigil in front of the monument they erected. She hadn't gone, she wasn't able to, but she pictured the entire park filled to the brim. She supposed that the world didn't know how to honor him. Clark the reporter was easy. They would do what they did for any ordinary boy from a small Kansas town. But the Man of Steel? He was more than a hero. He was more than a soldier. It wasn't until Martha squeezed her hand that she was broken out of her musings and she could see the cornfields again instead of the cold harsh lines of the city.

They approached the plot and took their places. Lois stood on the far side accepting what little strength Martha could offer her as the casket was put in place next to Jonathan Kent. Clark had told her the story of how his father had died. It broke her heart. He gave everything so his son could live a normal life. Clark had felt guilty for the longest time and she did her best to listen and offer him strength and advice. Jonathan would have never wanted Clark to blame himself.

The redhead fingered the ring in her pocket debating with herself as they approached the large cemetery. She eventually took it out and slide it on to her finger. She could see out of the corner of her eye that Clark's mother had smiled. Lois returned the smile before getting lost in thought again. She barely heard the pastor as he spoke, only managing to catch a few words here and there as the service dragged on. She was thinking of time they spent together. Their first date, when Clark had taken her to the tallest building in Metropolis to watch the sun come up. They had been on assignment together covering the elections and had been up all night as the results came in. It was one of her favorite moments. The first time he had taken her flying and hadn't saved her life before hand, she had felt the adrenaline rush as the wind whipped her hair and she tightened her hold around his neck. He laughed with his nose in her hair and she yelled at him for not watching where he was going. The time he came home and crawled into the tub with her with all of his clothes on. The last time he said 'I love you' to her, he gazed into her eyes and told her she was his world. There was a time when he didn't believe he belonged on Earth, but he always insisted that she made him feel human. She believed in him and not just as Superman. She never saw him as the hero he was. To her, he was simply Clark, his superhero persona was a way to keep those he loved safe. God. The way he looked at her when he said goodbye, his blue eyes shining with unshed tears. She knew as soon as he uttered those words to her what his plan was. That he was going to sacrifice himself. She had watched in horror as he took the spear and ran the monster through with it and the monster had impaled him in return. She couldn't believe it. That this was how he would die. Lois jolted back to reality when Martha swayed and she held steady to catch her weight against the redhead's side.

They were lowering the casket.

She felt a sharp shooting pain all over her chest and her heart broke as the top of the pine lid disappeared into the ground. "The dead shall live. My slain shall rise again. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust. For thy dew is like the dew of the morning. And the earth shall give birth to her dead," the pastor finished and the people began to disperse silently.

She held the older woman until Martha looked at her, tears still flowing freely. "Take as long as you need," she said shakily and accepted the pastor's arm to walk her back. She briefly watched her would be mother in law leave before returning her attention to the hole in the ground, grateful to be left alone in her grief. She heard the horse neigh and the carriage start to pull away but didn't look up. Her focus was solely on the man who would forever hold her heart. Lois twirled the ring around her finger as the wind blew around her. She wanted to do something to honor Clark in her own way.

The reporter looked around until her eyes landed on the dirt that had once been where Clark now laid and began walking toward it. She bent down and grabbed a handful before returning to her post. She stood there just holding the cool dirt in her hands before slowly allowing the sprinkles to slip through her palm. She paused and held her hand there as if not realizing it was empty. A lone tear fell down her left cheek and she turned as she shoved her hands in her pockets and walked back toward the house.

The next few weeks went by in a blur. She returned to Metropolis but things simply weren't the same. The world had seemed to lose its luster and her ambition had gone with it. All she saw around her was cold dark grey surfaces. Even in the bright light of the morning, she could hardly see clearly. The apartment seemed empty without Clark's warm smile and energetic nature. She missed everything about him and living in their shared space became too much for her. It wasn't until Perry had told, not asked, her to take a sabbatical that she even considered taking additional time off. So, she went home and spent time with her family and only came back when she could no longer stand to hear them ask if she was okay.

Then, one Thursday afternoon she got sick. The reporter threw up constantly and could hardly keep anything down. She thought it was just a stomach bug, that it would pass in a few days, but it hadn't. And then, the cravings came. She craved things she would never have eaten before, things that would have ordinarily made her gag, things like pizza with anchovies and pineapple or chocolate covered bacon. The smell of fish and pickles sent her running to the bathroom with her hand clasped tightly over her mouth no matter the time of day. Which very quickly lead her to this moment where she sat on the bathroom toilet staring at the white stick in her hands with two pink lines.

She was pregnant.


	2. Chapter 2

21 Years Ago

Living on a farm there were many chores to be done. Kara noticed this and so she intended to help her Nana with as much as possible. She whistled for Rylie, their Collie Retriever mix, and bounded out the front door. The dog made it out just in time as the screen door slammed shut right behind her tail. Kara skipped her way over to the barn where she knew her grandmother would be. "Nana?" she called out.

"And what are you up to little miss?" Martha smiled as she cleaned up the horse stalls.

"I want to help!" Kara exclaimed with her arms outstretched.

"Alright," Martha smiled at the little girl's enthusiasm. "Tell you what, today, you can help me brush the horses. Tomorrow, I'll show you some more things you can do."

"Okay, Nana!" Kara said and wrapped her arms around her grandmother's legs.

Martha laughed. "Come on, I'll show you the brushes," she held her hand out to Kara and the four-year-old latched on excitedly. Kara watched as her grandmother picked up a rubber brush. "This is called a curry comb," she handed it to her. "It is the first brush we will use and removes the loose hair." Kara grinned excitedly. Martha picked up another brush with hard bristles. "This is called a dandy brush. We only use this brush on the horse's body. It's very hard and helps get the dirt out but will hurt on bony areas like the legs and face." Martha explained and handed the brush the Kara who was barely hiding her excitement with wide eyes as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Nana?"

"Yes?"

"What's that?" Kara pointed behind her.

Martha turned around and saw she was pointing at the pick for the horse's hooves. "This, is what cleans out the hooves and horse shoes," she explained.

"Horses have shoes?!" Kara exclaimed.

Martha laughed. "Yes, it protects their hooves just like our shoes protect our feet."

"Does it hurt?"

"To use the pick?" Martha wondered and Kara nodded. "It can sometimes cause discomfort if the frog is sensitive."

"Frog?" Kara tilted her head to the side, her bangs falling into her eyes.

Martha let out another chuckle. "The frog on the horse is similar to Rylie's paw pads," she pointed to the dog. "Rylie's pads provide shock absorption and grip."

"Adsorpon?"

"Say it with me. Ab-sorp-tion," Martha sounded it for her. Kara copied her perfectly. "Very good, little miss," Martha goosed her sides causing Kara to squirm and giggle loudly.

"We brush the horses now?" Kara asked once she could stop laughing.

"Yes, we can brush the horses now," Martha guided her to the stall and placed a step stool next to the horse's neck. "This is a Clydesdale, you can tell because he has very long legs and his quite tall. Eighteen hands to be exact."

"Hands?"

"Hands are how we measure the horse's height."

"So, he's big?"

"The biggest horse I've ever seen," Martha smiled. "Do you want to know his name?"

Kara shook her head. "What is it, Nana?"

"Clyde, and do you know why?" Martha asked feeling the smile erupt on her face just thinking about the day Clark had named him.

"Why?"

"Because your father thought it would be funny to name his Clydesdale, Clyde."

"That's silly," Kara giggled. "Can I ride him?"

"Maybe when you get a little bigger," Martha laughed and handed Kara one of the curry combs. "You do his neck and shoulder here," her grandmother pointed. "And I'll get his back."

"Okay!" Kara said excitedly and started running the brush along Clyde's neck.

Martha watched her closely. Clyde neighed softly and snorted through his nostrils startling Kara. Martha laughed. "It's okay, it means he likes it, he's relaxed. See how his tail is swinging just slightly?" Kara nodded. "And notice how if you look at his mouth it almost looks like he's smiling?"

"Does that mean he's happy?"

"It does," Martha nodded and Kara beamed.

-/-/-/-/-/-

Lois looked up from the article she was proofing when she heard the soft patter of slipper covered feet. Kara stood in the doorway to her office, rubbing her eye with one hand and clutching her stuffed bunny, Mr. Smithers, to her chest in the other. Her long blonde ringlets were scrunched and knitted from sleep. The editor checked the time and sighed. This was happening a lot lately. "What's wrong bugaboo?" Lois opened her arms and motioned for Kara to come to her. "Can't sleep?" she asked as she hauled the four-year-old into her lap.

"Mommy?" Kara asked sleepily. "Where's daddy?" Of all the things she was expecting, that, wasn't one of them. She sighed. She knew this day would come, when she would have to explain to her daughter that her father was gone and never coming back. "Mason said his daddy was gone but he came home. He's a soldier. Is daddy a soldier?"

"No, he isn't a soldier," Lois took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry sweetie. Your daddy, isn't coming home," she heard the sharp intake of breath and prepared herself for the sobs she knew would come.

"But why? Doesn't he love us?"

"Oh sweetie, of course he loves us."

"Then, why doesn't he come home? Mason's daddy came home and he was gone," Kara looked up at her with pleading eyes.

"He can't come home because," the editor paused and swallowed the lump in her throat. "He died."

"He d-died!?" Kara's eyes went wide, her lip curled and chin wobbled. "So, he's not coming back, ever?" bright blue eyes looked up at her shining with tears.

"No, sweetie. I'm sorry," Lois cried with her daughter her heart literally breaking in her chest as she held Kara tightly. "Can you tell me how you're feeling?"

"Sad, really, really sad," she clutched her stuffed bunny tighter.

"Me too," Lois agreed. "Do you have any questions?"

"What was he like?"

"He was amazing. He always wanted to help people and make a difference in the world. He was kind and gentle soul; someone you could count on, loyal. You have his eyes. He was my favorite person until you," Lois put her index finger on Kara's nose. "Come on, let's get you some water and then back to bed."

Kara hopped down from her lap and slowly made her way to her room. The four-year-old crawled onto her big girl bed and bounded towards the middle. Lois yanked the covers back and Kara slid down until they came to her chin. "Mommy?" Kara looked up at her questioningly. "Do you miss daddy?"

"Every day, bugaboo," Lois admitted as she tucked the edges of the blanket tightly around her daughter. Lois kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"Love you, mommy," Kara replied.

Lois turned her light off and retreated to her office once more to continue her editorial duties. She shook her head as she sat down. She didn't lie to Kara, but she didn't tell her everything either. Lois sighed and wished she didn't have to figure out how and when to tell Kara her father was Superman or that she would also have powers

-/-/-/-/-/-/-

18 Years Ago

Martha was in the kitchen washing dishes when she saw her. Kara was high up in the old oak tree in the front yard. She had told the girl time and again to not climb that tree and she kept doing it anyway. She shook her head. It seemed that Kara had her father's rebellious streak. Suddenly, the sky outside grew very dark and the wind picked up. A flash of lightening lit up the sky. Martha quickly dried her hands and ran outside. "Kara!" The blonde looked down just as a crash of thunder sounded.

The seven-year-old screamed and her hands immediately went to her ears. It was so loud it was as if the sound filtered through her ears and got stuck in her skull bouncing around off the bones. Another crash louder than the last caused her to cry out in terror. "Nana!" she screamed.

Lightening flashed across the sky, and struck the tree trunk. A crack sounded as the tree snapped, pieces of bark flew clean off, and the tree seemed to sizzle. It teetered and Kara was occupied holding her hands over her ears instead of focusing on the tree. She fell out of the branches to the ground. Kara landed awkwardly on her arm and cried out in pain. Martha ran to her and gathered her into her arms before carrying her toward the house.

They were on the porch when another loud crash of thunder sounded. Kara pressed her head against Martha's shoulder trying to suppress the sounds in her one ear while her hand immediately pressed to the other and she screamed in pain. Tears fell from her eyes as if there was a never ending supply. "Where does it hurt, sweetie?" Martha asked.

"My arm! My ears! Nana, make it stop! It's so loud! Why is it so loud?" Lara looked at her pleadingly.

Martha was confused. The seven-year-old had a cut just above her eye, her arm looked broke, and her ears hurt? Another loud crash of thunder had Kara doubled over with her head between her knees sobbing. "Oh my God," it dawned on her out of nowhere. Her powers were manifesting, at least her super hearing was, and quite literally out of nowhere. Martha picked herself up and rushed into the house. She searched the junk drawers until she found the small orange buds she was looking for. She came back out and force Kara to look at her. "Put these in your ears," she instructed and motioned for Kara to roll the material before gently pushing it into her ears.

The earplugs made everything muffled but they still were ringing and Kara didn't understand why. "What's going on?" she asked her grandmother.

"It's alright, everything will be okay," Martha tried to soothe her.

"My ears, Nana. They hurt so much," she cried.

"I know, sweetie. We'll fix it," she helped Kara up and into the house. Kara was walking gingerly and favoring her left ankle as well. Since she was walking, Martha didn't think she broke it but it was probably sprained. "Stay here," she instructed depositing her granddaughter in one of the kitchen chairs. "I'll be right back," she went to her bedroom ad opened the top drawer of her nightstand. She rooted around for the spare pair of glasses she couldn't find the strength to throw away. She thanked God, when her fingers finally wrapped around the frames. "Put these on," she said entering the kitchen again and handed the glasses to Kara.

"But I don't have glasses," Kara said confused.

"They will help with your ears. Your mother and I will explain everything later."

Just then, Lois came through the front door. "I'm home! Crazy storm out there. That old tree finally came down," she said as she came through the kitchen. She immediately noticed the worried look on Martha's pale face and blood on Kara's face. "What happened?!" she asked quickly kneeling in front of her daughter and inspecting the damage.

"She was climbing that tree again and fell out of it," Martha sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "And her ears hurt," she added softly giving Lois a look she hoped the younger woman would understand.

"You were in the tree when it fell. Kara, you could have been seriously hurt," Lois admonished her daughter. "Your ears hurt?" she asked as if she were just now processing the information. The realization dawned on her. "Oh!" Lois's eyes went wide. "What do we do?" she asked Martha.

"I gave her an old pair of Clark's glasses for now, but she needs to see a doctor."

"Do you know of someone with that kind of expertise?"

Martha nodded. "I took Clark to a friend when he was growing up. I am not sure he still practices but let me call him. He might be able to at least see Kara tonight and we can find someone else for long term."

Lois nodded and watched Martha walk into the living room. She didn't hear what was said but assumed Kara did. "Mommy, why is Nana telling the doctor that I have powers like my father?"

And there it was. "Kara, I..." Lois sighed, This was not how she imagined telling her daughter about Clark. "Do you know who Superman is?"

Kara tilted her head slowly still looking at her mother. "Yes, I've heard stories, kids at school talk about him. He isn't around anymore though. Metropolis is protected jointly by the Justice League," she said repeating the rumors she heard at school.

"Well, he had these powers super hearing, x-ray vision, heat vision, freeze breath. He was faster than a speeding bullet and nearly invulnerable."

"But Nana said I had powers like my father," Kara's eyebrows knitted together. The cogs in her brain churned and slowly linked it all together. Superman died around the same time as Clark Kent. Her eyes went wide. "Is Superman my dad?"

Lois nodded at her smart little girl. "Yes, and you will have the same powers, I think. I can't be one hundred percent sure since you are part of both of us."

"Dr. Danvers agreed to see Kara, he's on his way," Martha said quietly.

"Nana, my daddy, was he..."

"He was adopted. Your grandpa and I found him out in the yard one night after a meteor shower. He had shown up in this pod like space craft. Over the years, he developed his powers, his first one was invulnerability which he gained at the age of twelve. We learned the hard way because he decided he was going to jump off the roof. After that, each of them slowly developed until he was eighteen. The doctor you're about to meet made those glasses you are wearing. They are lined with lead and help stop your powers from overwhelming you until you learn better control."

"You mean I have super powers, this is so cool!" Kara bounced excitedly in her chair. All her life she had been different and now she finally understood why.

"It is," Lois nodded. "But you can't use your powers and you can't tell anyone about them. There are people out there who would hurt you, because of who you are."

"I don't understand," Kara replied confused.

"Your father had a friend, a best friend, who betrayed him and sought to kill him after he went insane."

"Who would want to kill Superman? He was so great," Kara said sadly.

"There are very bad people in this world, Kara. People who like to hurt others for being different and people who do very bad things because they think it's okay."

"Well, it's not."

"No," Lois agreed. "It's not. I need you to promise me, you will try not to use your powers," she implored her daughter.

"I promise," Kara replied.

"Thank you, bugaboo," Lois smiled and got to her feet. She went to the sink and got a fresh rag to run under the water. She moved back to her seven-year-old and wiped her face clean.

A few minutes later, an older gentleman entered the kitchen behind Martha. "Kara, this is Dr. Danvers."

"Hello, Kara, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello, sir," Kara said shyly. "Nana said you knew my dad."

"I did, he was a very good man. A man I was proud to know. Now, let's take a look at you, shall we?" Kara sat as still as she could while the doctor checked over her injuries. He tried to be gentle with her arm as he inspected the extent of her injuries. "The good news is your arms isn't broken, you dislocated your elbow but not too badly, we'll get you in a sling for a few weeks and then some range of motion therapy. Let's take a look at that cut. How's your head? Does it hurt?"

"No," Kara shook her head.

"That's good, probably just had a branch clip you on the way down," he said softly. "We'll use some liquid stitches and I think you'll be all set," he commented readying the surgical glue.

"What about my ears? Everything is so loud, it hurts," she cried.

"Do the glasses help?"

"A little," she sniffled.

"That's good," he looked up at Lois and Martha. "I would make her a better fitting pair by my equipment was damaged quite a while ago and I haven't been able to replace it. My son is a doctor now in Midvale, I think he'll be able to help."

"Midvale?"

"California, yes," he nodded. "I'll let him know to expect you. He has extensive experience with Kara's special abilities."

"Do you mean Clark?" Lois wondered.

The older gentleman nodded. "Clark and Jeremiah, we're friends and kept in touch over the years. It was my understanding that Clark allowed him to run a multitude of tests to satisfy their mutual curiosity. He will also have the equipment needed to help Kara."

"I had no idea. Thank you, Dr. Danvers."

"My pleasure, Martha, and I'm terribly sorry that I can't be more helpful."

"Nonsense," Martha waved him off. "You've been very helpful. Would your son know when we should expect the rest of her powers to develop? She's quite a few years ahead of Clark."

"I'm afraid I can't answer that," he said and fished out a card. "Here's his contact information. He may want several days with Kara to run some tests," Lois just nodded and took the card.

After Kara finally fell asleep, Martha and Lois sat up in the kitchen. "I don't know how I feel about this," Lois rubbed her cheek tiredly. "You said Clark's powers came in gradually. Kara's hearing was normal this morning. Why is she developing differently than Clark?"

"I don't know why hers spontaneously appeared, but we owe it to Kara to find out everything we can. If this man's son can do half of what he did for Clark, it's worth the plane ride."


	3. Chapter 3

The Kent family arrived in San Diego mid-afternoon and got a cab to take them to the suburb of Midvale. It was an hour ride out of the city due to traffic. The young blonde took her sketch pad out of her bag. Kara sat quietly in between her mom and grandmother with a pair of noise cancelling headphones on and a pair of Clark's old glasses. They were heading to Dr. Danvers' home, he insisted on doing everything in his home lab due to the special nature of Kara's case. Lois and Martha were both especially grateful for his willingness to accommodate them and be discreet. The editor looked down at her daughter tapping her pen furiously against her lower lip as if trying to decide how to finish her drawing of the duck she had started on the plane.

Lois tapped her hand lightly to get her attention. "Try the crosshatch method. I think that will give you the effect you are looking for," she said in a normal voice knowing Kara could hear her over the headphones. Kara smiled up at her in thanks and went about finishing her drawing.

Martha looked over at Lois and smiled. "She's getting so good at that," she commented.

"I'm not sure where she gets it," the editor laughed. "I was never any good at drawing."

"Neither was Clark, he always got too frustrated."

"I'm just glad she's found something else she enjoys besides climbing trees," Lois chuckled.

"Indeed," Martha agreed. "I think it helps that you took some of those classes with her, she loves when you take a special interest in things she enjoys even if you don't," Martha smiled.

"I'd do anything for her," Lois said lovingly.

"I think anyone would after seeing her smile and the way her eyes light up when she's happy," Martha chuckled softly.

The rest of the ride was quiet as Kara focused on putting the finishing touches on her duck. They arrived at the address a short while later and Lois signaled for Kara to put her things away as the drive up the gravel driveway. The white house was set back against the property line but a few yards from the cliff. The front lawn was huge and not far from the wrap around porch was a Blue Oak tree with a tire swing and small treehouse. Kara's eyes went wide at the prospect of possibly being able to climb a tree with permission.

Lois shook her head and opened the cab door, a man, woman, and young girl about Kara's age awaited them on the porch. The man introduced himself first. "Hi, I'm Dr. Danvers. You can call me Jeremiah, though," he held his hand out to the red head and then the greying older woman.

"Lois, this is my mother-in-law, Martha, and my daughter," she placed a hand on either of the blonde little girl's shoulders. "Kara."

Jeremiah bent down on one knee, so he was eye-level with her. "Hi Kara," he smiled. "You look a lot like your mom, but," he paused. "You have your dad's eyes. I'd recognize them anywhere."

"Mommy says they're like the ocean," Kara smiled shyly.

"I'd say she's right," Jeremiah smiled and stood. "This is my wife, Eliza, and my daughter, Alex. Please, come inside, you must be exhausted," he motioned for them to follow him. "We made up the guest room for you, why don't you get settled? Eliza is making lasagna for dinner."

"That's very kind of you, but we can get a hotel," Martha smiled and touched his arm appreciatively.

"I insist," Eliza smiled. "Clark was family and so are you."

"Thank you."

"It's our pleasure, let us know if you need anything. Alex, please show our guests upstairs," Jeremiah asked.

"Okay, this way," Alex lead them upstairs and to the third bedroom on the right. "This is the guest room, the bathroom is over there," the small brunette pointed over her shoulder. "Kara?" the blonde looked up at the mention of her name. "Wanna play outside?"

Kara smiled and nodded before following the brunette outside. Lois and Martha got settled in before returning downstairs. Martha offered to help Eliza in the kitchen while Lois spoke with Jeremiah. "Clark never mentioned you by name, but he did speak very highly of a doctor friend. I'm glad he had you," Lois said.

"Clark was a good person. I was very sad to hear of his passing, that must have been difficult for you, especially after finding out about Kara."

"It was near impossible," Lois said wryly. "If It wasn't for Martha, I don't know what I would have done. Metropolis had lost its luster and I lost my reporter's ambition. I was lost, and she offered me a place to plant roots. I could be close to Clark. I changed my last name and I got a job at the local paper as a junior editor. The rest, as they say, is history."

"Tell me about your pregnancy, did anything seem different compared to what you know of pregnancy? Did you exhibit any of Clark's abilities?"

"No, everything was pretty normal, although come to think of it, I did have a bit of a lead irritation. I had to be really careful not to come into too much contact with it."

"How severe was the irritation?"

"Just hives and itching," Lois replied.

"Do you still experience this irritation?"

"It's occasional," Lois shrugged. "The last time was when we repainted Clark's room for Kara."

"I'll consider it, I know that Clark had an allergy to lead but it didn't seem to affect him in that way. Lead dampened his powers. It may be that you already had an allergy to lead and carrying Kara simple exacerbated it. Has Kara shown signs of any other powers yet?"

"Not yet."

"But this is quite early for her compared to Clark's development?"

"Yes," Martha confirmed. "Clark's powers came in gradually enough that he didn't have such a challenging time controlling them. They also didn't start manifesting until he had reached puberty."

"Interesting," Jeremiah seemed to be lost in thought. "It's only a theory but, I wonder if the human part of her genetics is causing the early development."

"How would we be able to tell?"

"I'll need to draw some of Kara's blood and run a few tests to confirm my hypothesis," he concluded.

"Dinner is ready," Eliza announced. "Jeremiah, can you set the table please?"

"I'll get the girls," Lois said and rose from her seat in the living room.

Kara giggled as Alex ran after her around the tree. The brunette wasn't far behind and almost had her hands on the blonde. With a burst of speed, Alex managed to just barely graze her elbow. "You're It!" Alex yelled and pivoted to run in the opposite direction.

Lois watched from the porch for a minute before calling them in for dinner a smile on her face. Kara had such a tough time fitting in at home due to her clumsy nature and introverted personality. Alex seemed to bring the blonde out of her usual shell of self-introspection. "Girls, dinner!" Lois yelled from the porch. Kara caught up to Alex and tackled her to the ground. Both erupted into fits of giggles as they rolled around. "Kara, time to wash up," Lois said sternly.

"Okay," the blonde was out of breath. "Come on Alex," Kara helped the brunette to her feet and dragged her inside by her hand.

The two girls washed up and Lois could hear Alex saying Kara was super-fast. The redhead simply shook her head, Kara hadn't even experienced her true speed. "Girls!" Eliza called then from the bathroom after hearing water splashing and giggles.

"Sorry, Mom," Alex smiled sheepishly and sat down at her usual spot. Kara sat next to her. They all enjoyed the lasagna and pleasant conversation. Alex and Kara spoke in animated whispers about just about anything they could think of while occasionally giggling. Jeremiah and Eliza spoke of their work while Lois and Martha regaled them with stories about Clark.

When it was time to retire for the night, Alex asked if Kara could sleep in her room. Lois and Eliza both agreed so long as they actually went to sleep. They had promised but being children, they had still stayed awake far too late and were told to go to sleep more than once. Lois worried that Kara would wake up and be utterly exhausted from the lack of sleep accompanied by the tests Jeremiah would run her through while Eliza worried Alex would fall asleep in class.

—

The next morning, Alex had gone to school even though she put up a valiant fight to stay home. Eliza didn't approve of skipping school in favor of staying home unless she was sick. Alex had crossed her arms and stomped around until she finally got on the bus.

Kara woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for the day taking both her mother and grandmother by surprise. Kara had always been a happy child until recently. She would come home from school in a horrible mood and lock herself in her room. Lois had managed to figure out she was being bullied at school and made it a point to spend more time with Kara but being around Alex had revived her daughter in a way she couldn't.

"Are you ready for your physical, Kara?" Jeremiah asked.

"Yep!" she answered dressing the 'p'.

Jeremiah laughed. "Alright, stand on the scale here for me," he waited for her to get on and allowed the machine to reveal her weight. He wrote down the number. "Hop on up here," he patted the exam table. "Let's take a listen," he blew on the receiving end of the stethoscope, so it wasn't too cold. He moved it around and asked her to breathe deeply. "Very strong lungs," he commented. He continued the physical taking her vitals and testing her reflexes and fine motor skills. "I'm going to take some blood samples, okay? This may pinch but I promise it will be quick," he said with a smile.

"Okay," Kara said holding out her arm.

Jeremiah got a needle and a few vials before choosing her left arm that had a decent looking vein just below the skin in the crease of her elbow. "Ready? On three?" he asked swiping an alcohol swap across the area to disinfect the site. She nodded. "One, two," he inserted the needle before getting to three, so she was distracted and not expecting it.

"That didn't hurt at all," Kara beamed looking up with a smile.

"Good," he smiled back and filled the vials. He pulled the needle out and held a piece of gauze over the small puncture. "Can you hold that for me? Nice and tight," he asked. She nodded and pushed on it hard. When he came back and took it off, Kara was no longer bleeding. "Good job."

"Thanks!"

"What else are you going to test?" Lois asked.

"I'd like to get a baseline of her cognitive function as well," he said, and Lois nodded standing off to the side. "Kara, what's your favorite subject?"

"I'm good at math and science. History and English are okay, but my favorite is art," she replied.

Jeremiah disappeared briefly returning with a large book. "Kara, could you read this paragraph for me?" he opened the book and pointed to a passage. Kara read the passage out loud with perfect pronunciation. Lois and Jeremiah were both astounded. "Kara, can you tell me what that means?"

The blonde nodded, "It means scientists are constantly measuring the events related to quantum mechanics but there is no agreement on a true method."

All four adults looked at her in awe. Jeremiah showed her an equation. "Can you solve this?" he wrote a simple equation in a2+b2=c2 form giving Kara two of the values. "If a is six and c is ten, what is b?"

Kara read the problem out loud and looked up at the ceiling with her tongue peeking out of her mouth; her face one of intense concentration. "If a is six and c is ten, then b is eight," she finally answered.

"How do you know that?" Lois asked.

"Ten square is one hundred, minus thirty six, is sixty four and the square root of that is eight," she reasoned.

"What is the probability that I will get heads both times I flip a quarter?"

"One out of four," Kara answered after brief consideration.

"Why?" Jeremiah asked.

"Each flip has a probability of a half. Half of a half is a quarter," she shrugged.

"I think you've got a genius on your hands, Lois," he smiled completely astonished and fascinated that a seven-year-old had such skills. The other three adults agreed.

"Kara, honey, where did you learn all of this from?" Lois wondered.

"From the books Mrs. Malone let me borrow," Kara replied. "She says I have above average intelligence."

"I'll say," Jeremiah chuckled. "You should get her IQ tested."

"I'm afraid to single her out more than she already is," Lois rubbed her face thoughtfully.

"She gets bullied at school," Martha sighed.

"Kara is exceptionally smart. Her problem-solving skills and reading level, if I were to guess, are probably mid high school level at the least. She is different from her peers, special. Are there any private schools in your area you may be able to send her to?" Eliza offered.

"I'm not sure," Lois admitted.

"They would be the most equipped to help Kara. She can literally be anything she wants to be, and unfortunately most public schools are well underfunded," Jeremiah responded.

"I'll do some research."

"Kara, you said art is your favorite subject, maybe you could draw something for me?" he asked with a smile.

"It might take a while," Kara answered.

"That's okay," he assured her and lead them all back upstairs to the kitchen. Kara worked on her drawing completely tuning out the three adults with the help of her noise cancelling headphones. By the time she was done it was almost time for Alex to get home. Jeremiah looked over her shoulder at the sketch. "That's amazing, you are very talented," he smiled.

"Thank you," she beamed.

"I bet Alex would like that. She loves dogs."

"It's my dog, Rylie. She's five," Kara told him proudly.

"She is a very beautiful dog. Who is this guy?" he asked pointing to the horse in the picture.

"Oh, that's Clyde! He's a Clydesdale. My dad named him because he thought it would be funny, but I think it's silly. Nana said I'm not big enough to ride him yet," she explained.

Jeremiah chuckled. "It's a very good drawing Kara and I agree with you, it is silly."

Alex walked through the front door a little after three in the afternoon and Kara jumped from her seat. "Look Alex!" she waved her sketch book in front of Alex.

"Kara, let her inside," Lois laughed.

"It's okay, Ms. Kent," the brunette assured her. "This is really good Kara," she smiled.

The blonde beamed. "You can have it if you want," she said shyly.

"Really?" Alex asked surprised.

"Yeah! I want you to have it. It's my dog Rylie and our horse Clyde."

"This is really cool, Kara, thank you!" Alex hugged the younger girl tightly.

Lois' happiness at seeing her daughter so carefree and joyful melted away as she watched the girls interact. The happiness faded to wariness as she realized leaving tomorrow would surely break the blonde's heart. She knew Kara would be sad and withdraw into her shell as soon as she got home. Alex would no doubt be a wonderful friend to her daughter, but they wouldn't be able to see each other more than a couple times a year.


	4. Chapter 4

Kara and Alex had hugged each other tightly. Both were crying their goodbyes as the adults also said farewell. Lois felt awful for having to drag Kara back to Kansas and the life they had there but it was necessary. The blonde was sullen the entire way home, not even in the mood to draw. She just sat and silently cried.

As soon as they got home, Kara went to her room and shut her door. Lois sighed and plopped onto a chair at the kitchen table. "What am I going to do?" she asked Martha.

"Her and Alex did seem to get along very well," the older woman commented. "She just misses her friend, let's give it a couple days."

So that's what Lois did, she gave Kara a week to come around before she decided they needed to have a talk. The blonde was sitting on her bed, the book in her hands forgotten as she stared out the window. "Hey, bugaboo," Lois smiled as she entered the room.

"Mommy, do you think Alex misses me?" the little girl wondered.

"I know she does," Lois said. "I spoke with Jeremiah last night after you went to bed. He said she's been worried about you since we left."

"I wish I could see her," Kara sighed. "She's so great, not like the kids here. They're mean."

"I know, honey, I'm sorry," Lois sighed feeling like she was failing her daughter. "I have an idea though," Lois revealed a stationary set. "You could write to her," Lois suggested.

The suggestion worked for a few months until Kara had a particularly bad day at school. Lois was out of her mind with worry when she came home, and Kara was nowhere to be found. She checked the house first, and then the barn where Martha was picking Clyde's shoes. "Where's Kara?"

Martha looked up and noted the little girl was gone. "She was just here a few seconds ago. She was helping me brush Clyde, is she in the house?"

Lois shook her head. "I checked there first," she sighed. "Where could she be?"

"Don't worry," Martha said gently. "She wouldn't have gone far," the older woman assured her. "She's probably in a tree somewhere."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Lois sighed. Sure enough, a thorough exploration of the woods at the edge of the property revealed a large oak tree that Kara had climbed. She sat with her back against the tree, tears falling freely. "Kara," Lois said softly so she didn't startle her.

"Penelope said I was a freak," the little girl cried.

"Please come down," Lois asked gently. Kara nodded and slowly made her way to the ground. She launched herself into Lois' arms. The red head carried her to the house where she finally collapsed on the couch with Kara still in her arms. She was far too big to be carried around both in height and weight, but Lois couldn't say no. "Talk to me, bugaboo? I thought things were going okay?"

Kara shook her head. "I'm taller and smarter than everyone in my class. They all hate me. And Penelope called me a freak because she tripped over my foot," the blonde's face crumpled.

"You are not a freak," Lois sighed and kissed her forehead. "You are kind and special and anyone who doesn't see that doesn't deserve to know you."

"I don't want to be special!" Kara yelled pulling away. "I wish I was stupid! I wish I was short! Why can't I just be invisible?"

Lois felt her heart shatter as Kara climbed off her lap and stomped up the stairs. "Did Clark have this problem?" she wondered.

"Clark was a boy," Martha shrugged. "No one questioned his height or natural athletic abilities, he wasn't nearly as awkward, but even though he had Chloe, he still had some trouble fitting in until he met Lex Luthor," Lois flared at her and Martha held up her hands in mock surrender. "All I'm saying is, she needs a friend who will stick by her and be there for her."

"Someone like Alex," Lois sighed.

"Someone like Alex," Martha agreed.

That night, Lois didn't sleep. All she could think about was how unhappy Kara was. She rubbed her face and made a phone call to Jeremiah. "Hello?"

"Jeremiah, hi. It's Lois. Is this a bad time?"

"Not at all, I'm just finishing up in the lab for the night. What can I do for you? Are Kara's glasses helping?"

"Yes, they're wonderful. I can't thank you enough. She no longer has to wear those ear monstrosities. You said a private school might help Kara feel more normal. I was wondering if you had any recommendations?"

"I don't really know Smallville that well anymore, but North Prep used to be good," he replied.

"Actually, I was thinking more Midvale," Lois said with a soft sigh.

"Oh," Jeremiah was surprised. "Is everything okay?"

"Not really, no," Lois sighed. "Kara is extremely unhappy, and she doesn't have any friends."

"That's hard to imagine, she's such a sweet little girl."

"She is, I just wish someone here would give her a chance. The kids are so mean. I just thought I should be open minded about her schooling."

"Midvale has two private schools. Westwood Academy and Midvale Prep, both are excellent schools. Westwood is closer to San Diego and Midvale Prep is where we send Alex. She's in their middle school."

"So you know from experience that they know how to handle an above average intelligence?"

"Yes, Alex is two grades above her peers. She has made a few friends her age and a couple in her grade. She is good at sports, so she plays on their soccer team."

"How is their art program?"

"It's pretty good as far as I know. It's not the best in the state but they have a good teacher. It's not as well funded as the sports programs," he answered honestly.

"What are the teachers like?"

"They're all great. Alex loves her teachers. The school is in the top five in the state academically."

Martha walked into her office and sat in one of the reading chairs. Lois finished her conversation with Jeremiah and hung up. "Martha, I- "

The older woman shook her head with a smile. "No, don't apologize. You need to do what is best for Kara. Besides, I'm getting too old to run a farm by myself anyway," she added.

Lois sighed with relief. "I don't want to say anything to her until I know for sure. I'll need to look for a job first and then we need to find a house."

"You worry about finding a job first. Take a week and bring Kara. I'm sure her and Alex would love to see each other while you job hunt. I'll take care of things here."

"Thank you," Lois smiled.

—

Kara was so excited, Lois thought she might burst. She had an armful of pictures for the Danvers family packed away in her bag. The plane ride was exhausting but the blonde managed to stay awake and bouncing in her seat for the better part of their journey. They were invited to stay with the Danvers again and Lois couldn't say no to Kara's pleading after Eliza suggested it. So, they were in a cab once again, headed to the Danvers' address.

Kara practically jumped from the car as soon as it started rolling to a stop. The redhead thanked and paid the cabbie before following her daughter. "Thank you again," Lois said to the older blonde in the doorway as she approached the house.

"Nonsense," Eliza waved her off. "How was your flight?"

"Long," Lois sighed.

"I saved the classifieds for you," Eliza pointed to the paper on the table.

"Thank you," Lois smiled.

"I heard Midvale Prep was looking for an English teacher for grade school."

"I don't have any teaching experience and I'm not sure I'd be any good at it. But thank you for keeping an ear to the ground for me."

"No problem, I'll let you get settled in. Dinner will be ready shortly, I made spaghetti and meatballs."

"Oh, Kara will love that!" Lois smiled.

"Good, has her appetite increased lately?"

"Yes," Lois confirmed. "Jeremiah did say to expect that with the rate she is growing."

"I find it fascinating that her human DNA is causing her powers to form at a much faster rate than Clark's."

"Fascinating but scary. Jeremiah said to expect her to gain several powers over this year alone as she goes through her growth spurt," Lois recalled their conversation. "I am so not ready for that."

"May I ask what prompted this visit and your possible decision to move?"

"Other than the obvious?" Eliza nodded. "Kara needs to be with people who know about her. She needs to feel normal or at least like she belongs somewhere. She is constantly bullied, and I have never seen her happier than when she is here. If I don't sacrifice my own life to make her the happiest she can be and give her the best chance, what kind of mother would that make me?" Lois answered.

"You're a wonderful mom, Lois," Eliza smiled. "Well, I'll leave you to it," she said and retreated to the kitchen to finish dinner.

Lois nodded and went to work looking through the classifieds and made some calls. She managed to snag two interviews; one at the San Diego Times and one at the Midvale Sun. She would go for initial interviews tomorrow which meant she needed to seriously prepare.

—

Alex and Kara were at the kitchen table looking through her drawings while Eliza finished up dinner. Kara's stomach grumbled loudly causing the brunette to giggle. "You're hungry!"

"Yeah," Kara blushed furiously. Her appetite had been growing exponentially. "I'm always hungry."

"It's your Kryptonian DNA," Eliza explained. "You will burn three to four times the amount of calories as an average human does because of your powers. As they continue to manifest, you will need to increase your caloric intake. I recommend lots of pasta," Eliza said placing a heaping portion into a plate for her. "Why don't you girls clear the table, so we can eat?"

"Okay, mom," Alex obeyed, and Kara helped her clear the table. The brunette went to the cabinet where the plates were and handed the right amount to the blonde. Kara moved around the table placing the plates while Alex got the silverware.

Jeremiah was working late and came home while the four of them were in the middle of eating. "Hello, family," he said smiling as he kissed the tops of their heads one by one, including Lois and Kara.

"Dad! Jeremiah!" Alex and Kara squealed happily at the same time.

He chuckled. "Hello, girls."

"I drew a tiger for you!" Kara said excitedly.

"Thank you, Kara. That's very sweet of you. Let's finish eating first and then, you can show me all of your new drawings."

"Okay!"

"How was school today, Alex?" he asked his daughter as he scooped out a large helping of pasta.

"Good, we're working on finishing the circuit board to power the toy train in pre-physics."

"That's cool!" Jeremiah and Kara both said at the same time.

"Can you show me?" Kara wondered.

"Actually, she can. We're all going to Alex's school to see the unveiling of the project. Her class is in charge of the train but there's a whole exhibit."

"Awesome!" Kara smiled brightly. "Are you coming too, mommy?"

"I have a meeting with some colleagues tomorrow unfortunately, but I'll expect you to tell me all about it," Lois said.

"I will!" they all laughed at the blonde's excitement.

After dinner, Jeremiah and Lois helped clean up the kitchen while the girls played outside. They heard the giggling stop abruptly and Kara yelled. Her voice was tinted with fear. "Alex!"

Lois was running out the front door with the other two adults not far behind. They were just in time to see Kara stumble over her feet and soar headfirst through the air. "Kara!" Lois screamed afraid she would break something or hurt Alex.

But no one needed to worry, Kara's momentum suddenly stopped, instead of tackling Alex to the ground by accident she was floating in place a foot above the ground. Alex was staring in disbelieve before a smile erupted across her face. "Kara! Look!" she pointed.

The blonde squealed with both delight and surprise. "Holy," Jeremiah was about to say shit, but Eliza glared at him.

"Flying, my baby is flying," Lois shook her head.

"We need to set some ground rules," Eliza said calmly. "We don't want anyone finding out, she needs to be really careful," the older blonde looked around.

"I agree," Lois nodded. "Kara, honey, can you stop floating?"

Kara looked around but wasn't sure what to do. "It's okay," Jeremiah said gently. "Just relax," he moved toward her and held out his hand. She pulled herself upright and the doctor helped her to touch down.

"Kara, no flying," Lois warned her.

"But?"

"I mean it, you could get caught and someone might take you away from me. I can't," Lois shook her head.

"Okay, mommy. I promise," Kara said quietly. Lois nodded and held her arms out for her daughter to step into.

—

Hours later, after both girls had gone to bed, the three adults sat up talking about what to do. Kara needed proper training to control her powers. "I don't know how to do this," Lois hung her head. "I wish Clark was here, he would know what to do."

"You're doing the best you can," Eliza comforted her.

"I know, I just," the redhead shook her head. "She needs someone to teach her. Someone who is like her."

"Can you think of no one that Clark knew that might be able to help her?" Jeremiah asked.

"Clark is the only one had that powers she does. I don't even know of any other beings that can fly!" Lois said exasperated.

"Actually," Jeremiah held up a finger and disappeared into the den. He came back with an older newspaper clipping and showed Lois. It was a picture of Wonder Woman in front of Batman holding up her gauntlets to block the laser beam shooting from Doomsday's eyes. The night Clark died.

"You think Wonder Woman would train her?" Lois asked looking up.

"It wouldn't hurt to ask besides; didn't you say her and Bruce both showed up at Clark's funeral and the expenses had been paid for anonymously? I bet you a hundred to one that if she knew the truth about Kara's origins she would help."

"I'm not sure I like the thought of a superhero teaching my daughter to use her powers. It could give her the wrong idea. I don't want her training to be a hero. She deserves the chance to have a normal life."

"What if that isn't what she wants?" Jeremiah asked. "Shouldn't we provide her with all of the tools she may need to survive this cruel planet, whether we want to or not? Aside from Clark, Wonder Woman is probably the best teacher she could have. Eliza and I can teach her about her anatomy and some of her history, but we can't teach her control."

"You're right," Lois sighed. "I don't like it, but you're right."

Both of Lois' interviews seemed to have gone well and she would know by the end of the week if she got one or both jobs. She continued to look and sent her resume to a few publishing houses as well. Editing was editing. She got back to the Danvers' residence as they were pulling into the driveway. Kara was positively beaming. "Mommy! Mommy! You should have seen it. It was so cool! Alex showed me how to work the train and the circuit board powered a whole auditorium of stuff!" the blonde explained excitedly.

"Wow," Lois smiled. "So, you enjoyed yourself?"

"It was so awesome! And I talked to a boy in Alex's class, he was super nice. His name is Winn and he likes videogames. I'm not sure I like those but he's smart like me too and he said I was pretty."

"Did he now?" Lois smiled taking note of how happy Kara was.

"He sure did," Alex smiled. "And Kara got all red."

"I did not!" Kara pushed the brunette lightly blushing.

"Now you're in for it!" Alex yelled and started chasing her. Kara squealed and giggled with delight as her friend chased her. The brunette tackled her to the ground and they rolled around until Alex was on top and started tickling her sides. "Say uncle!"

"Uncle! Uncle!" Kara screamed out of breath from laughing so hard.

"Alright, you two, go in and wash up. You've got homework to do!" Jeremiah reminded them.

"Homework?"

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind, I took the liberty of speaking with Alex's teacher about the entrance exam. She gave us an old copy of some example questions for Kara to work on," he explained.

"That's a great idea, thank you. Will that give us some idea of where she belongs as far as placement?"

"From what I've seen today, I would say she will either end up in class with Alex or the year under her. She's quick as a whip and I've never seen anyone with her level of comprehension. It's astounding. Even if she isn't in class with Alex now, she more than likely will be by the time they both go to high school," he smiled.

"I'm really glad today went well," Lois smiled.

"How were your interviews?"

"Great, I should hear something by the end of the week. I also stopped by several publishing houses to drop off my resume in case any of them were looking for an editor."

"That's good news," Eliza smiled and lead them into the den. "Do you have a preference?"

"I'd like to get the Sun job. It won't pay as much as a big paper like the Times, but I would be the Editor in Chief. It's also closer so I can be available to Kara if she needs me."

"And what about Martha?" Jeremiah wondered.

"Agreed to move out here with us. She said it's because she can't run the farm on her own anymore, but I think has more to do with the fact that she would miss us too much."

"And who wouldn't?" Eliza smiled.

"I'm just glad to see Kara so happy and excited, like she used to be before everything at school started to get bad for her. I think she will be much happier here. I really have the three of you to thank for that. Alex is just so wonderful with her."

"I think Alex sees her as a kindred spirit," Jeremiah explained. "Their shared passion for animals and science will take them far. I also think that Kara gets Alex more excited about things while Alex mellows Kara out a little."

"They are quite the pair, aren't they?" Lois agreed.


	5. Chapter 5

Lois ended up with multiple offers but in the end decided on taking the position at the Midvale Sun. Kara took the entrance exam for Midvale Prep and Jeremiah had been right, she was placed in Alex's class. Kara was overly excited and constantly talked about starting school and having class with her best friend. Martha had consulted with a real estate agent and ended up agreeing to sell the property to a developer who wanted to put in a development of insanely huge and expensive houses. She hadn't wanted to at first, but she simply couldn't afford to turn down the offer. The old Chevy pick up was sold to an auction house. Clyde went to a good neighbor who was capable of taking care of the horse properly. It was hard for all of them to let the horse go but it was truly for the best. At his age, traveling would have been a risk and boarding him was out of the question.

Everything was packed into Lois' SUV and ready to go. Martha was waiting in the passenger seat while the redhead stood with the door open waiting for Kara. She tapped her fingers on the roof. "Kara!" she yelled over the engine. The blonde came running out the front door with Rylie trailing behind. She was looking rather forlorn even though for the last few weeks she had been nothing but excited. "What's wrong, bugaboo?"

"Can we go see daddy?" Kara kicked at the dirt and looked down at her shoes. Lois fought her own emotions back and nodded. They got in the car and Lois drove to the cemetery. She pulled up to the family plot and parked. It had been a while since she had been to see Clark. She kneeled in front of the headstone and touched the engraving with reverence. She felt small hands on her shoulder and sighed. She pulled Kara around until she was resting on her thighs and wrapped her arms around her. "Mommy?"

"I'm sorry, bugaboo, just thinking about daddy," she sighed.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Kara asked.

"I think he'd be happy that we'll be happy," Lois replied. "That's all he ever wanted for his family."

"How did you meet?"

"Well, I was following a story and had gone to the arctic circle. The military found a submarine in ice that was so old they had no idea how it got there. At least, they thought it was a submarine. I didn't know it at the time but, he actually helped me out of the helicopter when we landed," Lois recalled.

 _The redhead looked down at her gear. She picked up the digital camera and changed out the wide lens for a zoom lens. She checked the battery and then piled on her layers of cold weather gear. Lois put the strap around her neck and opened the door. The gust of wind slammed the door shut and she pulled her hood up over her beanie covered head. She looked up at the tower and took a few pictures before noticing a figure against the snow in the distance._

 _She zoomed in on the camera. It was a man, in nothing but a shirt. That was strange seeing that it was well below zero. "Where the hell are you going," she asked herself and decided to follow him._

 _She trekked behind him slowly following his footsteps in the snow. She nearly fell a few times but was able to right herself. The reporter stopped at a steep decline along the rock wall and debated with herself over continuing. Lois chewed her bottom lip in contemplation before testing the next few steps gingerly with her boot. It seemed sturdy enough. She had come this far, why the hell not keep going?_

 _She felt along the rock wall with one hand and gripped the camera tightly in the other. The reporter came to a stop and took out her flashlight. There was a small opening in the wall that was clearly cut out by something hot. She could tell, because the roof of the cavern was dripping and the space itself felt warm and was steaming._

 _Lois heard something and turned around shining the light around behind her. She saw nothing and continued down the cavern. After what felt like hours, she finally came to the end and peeked out. What she saw was something she could never describe. It wasn't a submarine, that much she knew. But what it truly was, she was struggling with. The man, she remembered Mr. Eubanks calling him Joe, was standing in front of a console of some sort when a robot rose from behind him. It didn't seem hostile until long tentacle like arms snapped out at the man, zapping his arm with an electric shock before one of the arms wrapped around his. Lois watched amazed as he struggled and finally broke free._

 _He slammed his hand against the console and the entire metal structure hummed to life. The robot floated away and he followed a tunnel off to the right. She waited a few minutes before pulling herself out of the tunnel. The robot floated in front of her almost as of it were sleeping; hibernating. She picked up her camera and aimed. Once in focus, the robot seemed to wake up, the compartment in its chest opening up. Just her luck, she thought as she snapped the picture._

 _The arms reached out and pushed her back as if she were a threat. The next thing she knew, she was flying backwards. She dropped her camera immediately out of shock. The reporter hit the wall and rolled forward. She groaned in pain and looked up. The robot was readying to attack again and she scuttled backwards on her hands. The arm was about to strike when the man she followed grabbed it. He struggled with the robot until he broke it._

 _The redhead's eyes grew wide and she tried to crawl away. "It's alright, it's alright. It's alright," he grabbed her gently and turned her around. She struggled briefly before their eyes met. For some reason, his eyes told her she could trust him. She nodded. He opened her jacket and inspected her side. "You're hemorrhaging internally, if I don't cauterize this bleed," he shook his head._

 _She hissed in pain. How had she not noticed it before? Bleeding? Cauterize? "How can..."_

 _"I can do things other people can't," he explained. "Hold my hand," he instructed. "This is going to hurt."_

 _Lois watched as his eyes began to glow red. What is he? She wondered. Laser beams shot out of his eyes and she heard her skin sizzle before she recognized the burning sensation and screamed._

"Did you run the story?" Kara asked.

"I was going to but in the end I decided it was better that the world didn't know. They weren't ready yet."

"You said daddy was a reporter like you."

"A lot happened that made him realize that being a reporter would allow him to get close to the action and be able to save people."

"So he came to work with you?"

"Yes, he showed up one day and I was surprised but glad to see him. He became a great reporter and a hero the world not only needed but someone who inspired people to be better."

"I want to do that too," Kara said suddenly and turned to face her. "I want to do what daddy did."

"You'll help people in your own way," Lois smiled and hoped she never had to worry about Kara in the same way she worried about Clark. It seemed to placate her daughter for now but she knew they'd be having this conversation again someday.

"What was the last thing he said to you?"

Lois felt her chin wobble. "He told me he loved me," tears streamed down her face.

"I'm sorry, mommy," Kara threw her arms around Lois.

"It's not your fault, bugaboo," Lois hugged her tightly. "We should go," she whispered. Kara pulled back and Lois let her go watching as her little girl hugged the cold tombstone the best she could. Martha took her to the car leaving the redhead to say goodbye. She leaned forward and placed both hands on the stone. "She's so much like you," Lois shook her head. "I don't know what to do. I don't want anything to happen to her," she shook her head and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I couldn't survive it."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Another short update, I apologize. I am trying to set up the next portion of young Kara's life. Hope you enjoy it. And of course, thank you everyone for your comments and support. It means so much to me!

* * *

Lois watched as her daughter got out of the car and pulled her backpack on. Alex was waiting for her by the flower bush just like she had promised. The older girl started walking towards the entrance of the school. Kara walked behind Alex tentatively, still a little unsure. The brunette looked back and cleared her throat. Kara had stalled and was now kicking at the ground. She held out her hand and waited for the younger blonde to take it. "It's okay," she smiled.

A small brown-haired boy ran to join them in the middle of the sidewalk. "Hi Kara!" he smiled widely and waved his hand in her face. "Alex is right, come on," he grabbed her other hand. "You're going to love it!"

Kara looked at both of her friends and felt herself smile and nod. "Okay," she said ducking her head shyly.

Lois sighed and sent up a silent thank you to Clark. Whether or not he had a hand in helping them in any way she didn't know but she liked to believe he did. She went to work and when she got home that evening Kara was chattering nonstop about everything she did at school and all the kids she met. She learned the little boy was the same one she met last time. His name was Winn. He and Alex hadn't left Kara's side all day since the three of them had the same classes.

The next day, she came home to Kara and Alex playing in the backyard. "Hi girls, did you finish your homework?"

"Did it at school," they replied together. Alex showed Kara a complex soccer move and her klutz of a daughter ended up falling.

Lois rushed over. "Are you Alright?"

"I'm fine," Kara smiled brightly and showed Lois her hands. "See?"

"You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days. Let's stick to the art, huh?" she ruffled her hair.

"Mooom," the clumsy blonde pushed her mother's hand away. "Alex promised to teach me and I'm getting better!"

"Yeah, she really is. Dad said we just need to teach her a little coordination."

"Right," Lois shook her head.

"Nana made spaghetti," Kara smiled. "I left you some," she said pulling at her lower lip.

"Thank you, bugaboo," Lois sighed kissing the top of her head and went inside to leave the girls to their sports. She shook her head. There was no way her clumsy Kara would ever have the coordination to play sports.

"Hey, how was your day?" Martha asked.

"Tiring but good," she sighed and plopped down at the kitchen table. "I really appreciate your willingness to take care of things around the house."

"I don't mind, it gives me something to do," Martha smiled.

"I got a strange phone call today," Lois said pushing the noodles around on her plate.

"Oh?"

"Bruce Wayne," Lois looked up and saw a flash of recognition and pain.

"He paid for Clark's funeral," Martha acknowledged. "What did he want?" she crossed her arms protectively around her middle. She still struggled with the loss of her son and husband from time to time.

"He asked about Kara."

"How did he?"

"Find out?" the red head sighed. "Well, he is a very rich and powerful man and a vigilante," Lois pointed out. "He asked me if Kara had shown signs of her powers yet."

"What did you tell him?"

"I wasn't going to tell him anything at first, but then he said he could put me in touch with Wonder Woman."

"He can?" Lois nodded and Martha leaned back in her chair crossing her arms. "What did he say?"

"Her real name is Diana Prince. She lives in Washington. He thinks she would be willing to train Kara once all of her powers have manifested," Lois produced a piece of paper. "That's her number."

"So you're going to do it?" the older woman asked picking up the small piece of paper.

"I don't see what choice I have. I can't teach her how to use or control her powers. I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Are you sure this is a good idea? It could encourage her to become more like Clark."

"I know. Believe me, that is the last thing I want. I don't want my baby out there fighting the evil in the world, But is that really my decision to make?" Lois wondered. "I can only control so much. I won't stop her from doing it if that's what she really wants. Even if it means I will worry every day."

Martha patted her hand. "Let's take it one day at a time," she said catching Lois' gaze and waited for her to nod in agreement.

For Kara's ninth birthday she wanted to go swimming with her friends. So, Lois invited the Danvers and Winn and his mom to join them at the beach. They were all laughing and having a good time when they heard a loud crash followed by an explosion. Jeremiah pointed toward the kids and she watched as Kara took off in the direction of the crash. Lois spun around to try and grab her but was too late to stop her daughter from taking off. "Kara!" she yelled. "Call nine one one," she yelled to Jeremiah and started running after her daughter.

Alex and Eliza were close behind. "Alex, stop!" the tall blonde wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"But Kara could get hurt!" Alex cried struggling in her mother's arms.

Kara was so fast Lois could barely keep track of her. She watched as she jumped from a hundred feet away and landed on top of the car with a crunch of the metal. She yanked the door open and flung it behind her. She pulled the baby out and jumped away from the wreckage handing the bundle to Lois. The editor watched in both horror and amazement as Kara tore the drivers' side door off and ripped the seatbelt to get the mother out of the car. She then carried the mother to safety.

The car burst into flames only second later. Lois was staring at her daughter in amazement when the first responders showed up. The mother was barely conscious but managed to tell the officers that a little girl with blonde hair had torn the doors off her car and saved them. It didn't take a genius to figure out the girl with blonde hair was Kara. She was covered head to toe in soot from the fire.

"Hello, I'm Officer Warren," he bent down to her level. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Kara looked up at her mother and Lois placed a hand on either shoulder. "I think she's in a little bit of shock herself," the redhead explained. "She saved both of them, but the doors were already loose and easy to pull away," she shrugged.

"Well, she is certainly fast," he smiled.

"She likes to run," Lois responded.

"I'm sure the mother was imagining things. She's got quite the concussion. Nice job," he paused looking for a name.

"Kara," the blonde smiled.

"Nice job, Kara. You did a good thing today," he smiled at her and ruffled her hair. "You should be proud, she saved that family."

Lois nodded and waited for the officer to out of hearing distance before bending down to check her daughter for injuries. "What were you thinking? You could have been hurt. Someone else could have seen you!"

"Lois," Eliza squeezed her shoulder.

The redhead sighed. "I'm sorry, you scared me. Please, don't do that."

"I'm sorry," Kara looked down.

"You were very brave," Alex said hugging her best friend.

"Yes, the officer is correct, you did a good thing, but it is dangerous to you and to others to expose yourself like that," Eliza added.

"Are you alright?" Lois asked after checking her over and finding not even a scratch.

"I'm fine, mommy. I promise," Kara responded.

"Still, I would like it if Jeremiah would give you a checkup," she added looking at the Danvers hopefully.

"Of course," he smiled. The ride to their house was a short one since they only lived minutes from the beach. Winn and his mother had followed them since they had seen Kara's abilities and the Danvers and Kents wanted to make sure they would be able to keep the secret.

Winn was over the moon about it. His mother not so much but she promised that she wouldn't say anything. "Thank you," Lois sighed.

"Winn can still be friends with Kara but I need you to promise me that he won't get hurt because of her."

"I'll be sure to watch them when he's around, I promise," Lois assured her.

"Oh my God! Kara! You have powers! This is..." he pulled at his hair as he paced. "Oh my God!" his eyes grew wide. And he suddenly shouted, "Superman!" and pointed at her. "Is he?"

Kara nodded her confirmation. "He was my dad," Kara smiled.

"That is so cool!" Winn gushed and gave her a hug.

Jeremiah came in and shoed both Alex and Winn out to wait in the living room while he checked Kara physically. He helped her get cleaned up and inspected every inch of bare skin it covered by clothing. "How do you feel?" he asked.

"Great," she grinned still riding the high of saving someone. He remembered seeing Clark the same way.

"Not even a scratch," he commented lifting her elbow in inspection. "Can I take some blood?"

"Sure," she shrugged.

He got a needle and proceeded to use an alcohol swab over her vein before inserting it. The needle wouldn't pierce her skin, though. He broke four before giving up. "You're all set Kara. Let's go join everyone else."

"Okay," Kara smiled brightly and he followed her upstairs. "Where is Winn?"

"He went home," Lois replied. "Why don't you go outside with Alex?" She nodded toward the door. The girls ran outside and she waited a minute before asking, "Well?"

"I believe her invulnerability, strength, and speed have manifested. I broke four needles trying to get a blood sample and we all saw how fast she was getting to that car and pulling those doors off."

"Damn it!" Lois put her head in her hands. "What's left? Freeze breath and heat vision?"

"Freeze breath, heat vision, X-ray vision, and for all we know there could be more. Clark was still learning the limits to his powers."

"So we just wait?"

"Essentially, yes. I know that's not what you want to hear but it's the best I have for you right now." Lois nodded and sighed. It appeared she would be making that phone call sooner than she expected.


	7. Chapter 7

A full year passed before another one of Kara's powers manifested. With the rate that her other powers had developed, Jeremiah projected that she would gain the remainder of her powers before her next birthday unless she had any that differed from Superman's powers. They were all surprised when she sneezed into her hot chocolate and turned it into chocolate ice crystals that hung from the ceiling. It caused a good amount of laughter especially after Kara had gotten as red as a tomato afterwards. Her X-ray vision came at a most inopportune time during gym class. She would be scarred for life after seeing into the boys' locker room. Gross. Her heat vision caused quite a few fires after it had manifested. Every time someone startled her something was set ablaze.

Lois finally broke down and called Wonder Woman after Kara nearly lasered Winn when he snuck up on her. Diana agreed almost instantly to train Kara and while the little girl was overjoyed, Lois was dreading allowing Kara to travel across the world to some remote estate Diana owned. She didn't have much of a choice though. She did put her foot down when Diana suggested Kara living with her full time and demanded that the training only took place during long breaks and the summer when Kara didn't have school.

—

Lois stood at the gate with Kara while they waited for Diana to arrive. The editor would be handing her daughter over to the superhero in the child exchange area. Kara was first to point out the tall woman. "Look! Look!" she pointed and jumped up and down. "There she is!"

Lois stilled her bouncing ten-year-old by placing her hands on her shoulders. "I see her. It's not nice to point," Lois reminded her.

"Sorry."

"That's alright, just remember your manners."

"Yes, mommy," Kara sighed.

Diana walked towards them with a broad smile. She was wearing a white business suit and her hair was pinned up. "Ah, you must be Lois and Kara," she held her hand out. The redhead took it and gave it a good shake. Diana knelt down. "Hello," she greeted the blonde.

"Hi," Kara smiled shyly. "You're pretty," she said.

"Thank you," Diana smiled fondly. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, we already checked my bags," Kara pointed over her shoulder.

"Great," Diana smiled and stood up. "I'll have her call you when we land. And of course, daily as agreed."

"Thank you," Lois sighed heavily. "Please be good for Diana, do everything she says."

"I will, mommy," Kara promised and threw her arms around her mother. Lois hugged her tightly.

"I love you. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay, bye mommy. I love you, too."

"Bye bugaboo," Lois kissed her. "Thank you again, Diana."

The Amazon nodded and the two turned and walked back toward the departure gate. Lois watched them until she couldn't see them anymore. She waited in the airport until they called for their flight to board. At home, she worried until Kara called to let her know they had landed.

—

Kara fidgeted in the backseat of the town car while sitting next to Diana. The Amazon chuckled to herself and placed a hand on top of Kara's. "There is no need to be nervous," she smiled.

The blonde nodded. "Okay," she said and looked out the window. She had never seen anything like it except for in photos.

"Do you find it fascinating?" The Amazon asked referring to the scenery.

"It's so different," Kara responded.

"Yes, I still haven't gotten used to it," Kara looked at her with a questioning gaze. "I grew up on an island protected by magic where no man had ever laid foot."

"How long did you live there?"

"A very, very long time," the older woman teased.

"How old are you?!" Kara asked with wide eyes.

Diana chuckled heartily. "Didn't your mother ever tell you it isn't polite to ask someone their age."

"Well, you said it was a long time, I was only wondering just how long."

"I am five thousand and ten years old."

"Woah! How is that possible?! No way," she shook her head. "There's no way..." Kara paused. "Unless..." Diana lifts a brow in her direction. "You're not human!"

"I'm not," Diana confirmed.

"Woah!"

"Yes, woah," Diana laughed.

"How long did you live on the island? When did you leave? Why did you leave? Will you tell me about it?"

"Yes," Diana smiled and laughed once more at Kara's infectious enthusiasm. "It is called Themyscria and it was my home for almost four thousand years. It was a gift from the Gods and hidden away from the world of man."

"Why?"

"We were supposed to bring peace to the world of man but men enslaved us. My mother and sisters fought for our freedom and we escaped to the island where we would be protected from the destruction and greed of man."

"What was it like?"

"Oh, it was beautiful," Diana sighed reverently. "So lush and green. We didn't have buildings. All of our structures had evolved over the years to suit our purposes. We loved and respected the island. We did not cut into it or destroy its beauty. We lived with nature, using what nature gave us. Water was everywhere. Echoes of the sea flowed through the entire island. The waterfalls were majestic."

"You must miss it," Kara concluded.

"I do, very much."

"Can you ever return?"

Diana shook her head sadly. "I cannot."

"Why?"

"Themyscria is a peaceful island, if I were to try to return I could inadvertently lead anyone back to it and ruin everything the Amazons have built. It is also only possible to return if you know the exact location and I, sadly, do not."

"How is Themyscria ruled?"

"My mother, Hippolyta, is the Queen. My aunt Antiope was her general until she died. I do not know who has taken on that role, though I assume it would have been Artemis as she was second in command."

"Your mother was the queen? That makes you a princess."

"Indeed," Diana smiled. "My mother often reminded me that a princess should not be fighting."

"But you didn't listen."

"No, I did not," Diana sighed. "Antiope trained me in secret from when I turned six summers until my mother found us when I was thirteen. I used to watch the warriors in the training yard and copy their movements. They trained mid-day so I used to escape from my lessons to watch. My teachers were very unappreciative as was my mother."

"Why didn't she want you to train?"

"Part of it was because she wanted me to be safe, she worried I would get hurt. But she also knew I would leave her, it was my destiny. She was trying to prevent it, to prevent my brother from finding me."

"Your brother?"

"Yes, Ares."

"Your brother is a God?! Are you a Goddess?!"

"Yes, Zeus is my father. My mother used to tell me that she wished for me so much that she sculpted me from clay herself and begged Zeus to bring me to life. In doing so, he made me a weapon; only a God can kill another God."

"Wow, you killed Ares? Why?"

"I will tell you the story my mother told me," Diana smiled. "Ares poisoned men's hearts with jealousy and suspicion," Kara's eyes grew wide. "He turned them against one another and war ravaged the Earth. So, the Gods created Amazons to influence men's hearts with love and restore peace to the Earth. And for a brief time, there was peace, but it did not last. My mother led a revolt that freed the Amazons from enslavement and when Zeus led the Gods to our defense, Ares killed them one by one until only Zeus himself remained. Zeus used the last of his power to stop Ares, striking such a blow that the god of war was forced to retreat. But Zeus knew that one day, Ares might return to finish his mission, an endless war where mankind would finally destroy themselves and us with them. So, Zeus left us a weapon, one powerful enough to kill a god. With his dying breath, Zeus created the island to hide the Amazons from the outside world where Ares couldn't find them."

"What kind of weapons?"

"The Gods gave us many gifts. I possess several of them."

"Can I see them?"

"Yes, I will show them to you."

"Ma'am," her driver said politely.

"Yes, Roger?"

"We have arrived. Shall I bring your bags in?" he asked kindly.

"Thank you, Roger. That won't be necessary," Diana said and exited the car with Kara close behind. The tall woman handed Kara her bag and picked up her own. They walked up the stone steps and Kara whistled. "It is quite big. Bruce thought it would give us privacy."

"It's huge!" Kara exclaimed taking in the stone mansion.

"Yes, well, he has kindly let me stay here several times. He has many homes across the world. This one will serve our purposes for the time being. Follow me, I will show you the house and grounds."

Diana lead her around the first floor which consisted of a library, living area, three bathrooms, kitchen, and dining room. The second floor held another library, office, living area, three bedrooms, and four bathrooms. The third floor was where the master bedroom and bathroom was located along with an additional library, sitting room, office, and art studio.

"This is incredible."

"Your mother said you like art. Bruce thought you would like this room."

"I do, very much. Please tell him thank you."

"You can tell him yourself when you meet him," she smiled.

"He's coming here?!"

"He will be staying with us towards the end of our stay on business," Diana explained. "Get some rest. I will have Cookie prepare dinner."

"The cook's name is Cookie?"

Diana could tell Kara was struggling not to laugh. "Yes, you need to work on your poker face young one," she chuckled.

—

Kara followed Diana's instructions and copied her pose. She was sitting with her legs crossed and hands on top of her knees, with her eyes shut as she breathed in deeply. The blonde opened one eye and stared at her mentor. "You're not focused," Diana observed with her eyes shut.

"How do you do that?" Kara asked utterly flummoxed. This was her fifth day trying to clear her mind in the way Diana instructed and she still couldn't get it right.

"I can hear you moving," the Amazon smiled. "Relax, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. The goal is to empty your mind of all thoughts and emotions."

"Why?" the little girl whined. "This is boring."

"This is by far the most important thing you will learn, and until you master at least being able to meditate for a full twenty minutes, you will do nothing else."

"Fine," Kara huffed.

"Keep your back straight. Breathe in through your nose and feel your chest and rib cage expand while your shoulders lift upwards. Exhale through your mouth and feel the breath leave your body returning to your natural position. Your thoughts will seem chaotic but do not follow them. Allow them to come to mind and let them go."

Kara tried this for a short time while also trying to count her breaths as she inhaled and exhaled. "This is stupid!" she said frustratedly and got to her feet.

"Again," Diana instructed without opening her eyes. "It will get easier, I promise."

Kara rolled her eyes and sat back down. "My brain is too jumbled," she complained.

"Why don't we try this; as a thought passes through your mind, voice it and let it go by moving on to the next until you no longer have any thoughts."

"So just say them out loud?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Kara closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "I am worried about my mom."

"She is fine."

"But she worries about me."

"She worries because she loves you. All mothers worry, one day, you will understand."

"I don't want to disappoint her."

"You won't, but if you do, you will find a way to earn her trust back."

"What if I mess up? What if I hurt someone?"

"You are bound to make mistakes, it is inevitable. What is important is that you learn from them. And you will only hurt someone if you are careless or do not learn to wield your powers."

"Do you think my dad would be proud?"

"Exceedingly."

"Nana and my mom moved to California because of me," she said sadly.

"They moved because that was what was best for you. They wanted to move so that you would be happy."

"I am happy. I have two best friends, Alex and Winn. Nana takes care of me and mom. Mom seems to like her new job. The Danvers are like an extended family."

"That is wonderful."

"My Dad died saving the world."

"I know, I was there."

"What was he like?"

"Determined, hopeful, trusting. He always saw the best in humanity even when Bruce and I did not. We had been tainted by the greed and mistrust of man. We had seen too much. Your father still had faith that there were good people in this world."

"I want to be like him."

"You will be, one day, if that is what you desire. But you must work at it."

Kara smiled feeling content and simply took in the warmth of the sun on her face. She felt the cool breeze lift her hair and took a calming breath. She felt at peace; happy. Diana stayed quiet and Kara found she didn't mind the silence.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: A few things to start off with - 1) I am sorry it took this long to update, real life caught up with me and I've been super busy with very little time to do much new writing. 2) This story has morphed into something I never intended but I am enjoying writing it. 3) Let me know how you feel about the new relationship being kicked off... it just kind of happened.

* * *

A sleek sports car rolled up the driveway as Kara was coming out of the mansion. She was supposed to meet Diana at the training field to work on her aim in several ways now that she has semi-mastered meditating. It rolled to a stop and Kara waited with slightly contained excitement at the bottom of the steps in front of the house. The door opened, and a man stepped out. He turned toward her. He was a rugged looking fellow with a square jaw, dimpled chin, and greying hair. His eyes met hers and she could tell he was a kind person, a tired person.

"Hello," he smiled and shut his car door. "I'm Bruce, you must be Kara," he strode towards her.

"Hello, Mr. Wayne," she greeted him politely. "Thank you for allowing me to train here. Oh," she almost forgot. "And the art room. It's wonderful."

"Well, I hope you put it to good use," he said strolling up the marble staircase. "Where is Diana? I was hoping to speak with her."

"I was just about to meet her for a training session in the yard. We're practicing my aim today," Kara told him excitedly.

"Well now, that I shall have to see," he responded with a small smile and followed the young blonde towards where Diana was waiting for her.

There were targets set up at varying distances and sizes across the wide expanse of the backyard. "Kara, there you are!" Diana chided her tardiness gently.

"Sorry, Diana. I met Bruce!" Kara exclaimed and ran up to the Amazon.

"I see that," Diana crossed her arms, a slight grin erupting on her face at the sight of Bruce Wayne. "Kara, you know where to stand. Start practicing," she instructed and waited for the billionaire to come to her.

"How are you?" He asked in his gruff voice.

"I am well, and you?"

"Can't complain," his eyes drifted towards the shattering noise and he watched as pieces of clay flew into the air and to the ground. Kara was obviously hitting her targets. "How is she doing?"

"Quite well," Diana smiled. "Though there is still much for her to learn." A burning smell wafted over towards the adult heroes. "Focus Kara," she said. "And please do not listen in on mine and Bruce's conversation."

"Yes, Diana," Kara agreed and adjusted her stance.

"Will she listen?"

"No, she may have super hearing, but she respects people's privacy."

"Does she know?"

"That we intend to resurrect her father but when we do so he may actually not be the same Kal El?" she said barely above a whisper. He hummed in response. Diana shook her head. "Of course not, I would never put her through that if I could help it." She clearly still disagreed with this plan.

"You are close." It was a statement, not a question. "Merely, an observation, my friend."

"I knew her father, briefly, but I knew him and respected him," she crossed her arms. "He believed in humanity when we no longer did. I knew within the first few hours of being with her that she held his ideals," she watched the youngster with a mix of amazement and adoration. "I have come to care for her a great deal while she has been in my charge."

"Yes, she is quite charming, isn't she?" he smiled.

"Yes," Diana agreed.

—

The rest of Kara's time with Diana had gone by far too quickly for the her liking but she was also happy to be going home. She stood at the gate with the older woman's hands on her shoulders as they each looked for the redhead. Diana felt the need to impart some advice and say her goodbyes now, so she wouldn't intrude on the family's time more than necessary. "Be good for your mother. Do not worry her unnecessarily. And remember to keep training. I expect your abilities to have improved the next time I see you."

"Of course, Diana. Thank you for training me. I will miss you."

"It was my pleasure, young one," Diana replied warmly. "I will miss you as well."

Lois smiled widely when she spotted her daughter. "Mommy!" Kara yelled and ran towards her.

"Bugaboo!" she knelt on the floor and wrapped her arms the blonde tightly once she had reached them. After a minute or two, Lois finally pulled away and stood. "Let me look at you," she smiled and looked at Kara carefully. She was a full head taller than when she had left. Her bangs had grown out and her hair was nearly to her waist. She looked older. Diana smiled at the exchange and was about to walk away when Lois called out to her. "Would you join us for dinner?" the redhead asked.

Diana studied Lois briefly seeing a bit of the earnest personality Kara exhibited so freely in the other woman. The hopeful expression and wide smile left her no other choice but to accept the invitation. Something about this woman intrigued her. "I would love to," was the simple response.

—

Lois wasn't sure what had prompted her to invite Wonder Woman to their home for dinner but now that she had, she found herself rather anxious. She did her best to hide it behind a megawatt smile. Diana suggested renting a car, but the redhead would hear nothing if it. She invited her and would be happy to drive her. Eventually, the brunette gave in to the charming insistence.

The ride to the Kent residence was filled with lively chatter (mostly Kara's) and it was the same once they arrived home. The young blonde talked a mile a minute explaining her training and telling stories to her grandmother and mother. Lois saw out of the corner of her eye that Diana seemed both sad and happy and found herself wondering what the beautiful mysterious woman was thinking.

"Alright, Kara," Lois said once it started getting late. "It's far past your bedtime."

"Aww! Moooom!" Kara whined but immediately stopped when one of Diana's eyebrows rose ever so slightly reminding the blonde of their earlier discussion without words. "Okay," Kara gave in quickly and said goodnight.

Once she left the room, Lois looked at Diana incredulously. "How did you do that?"

"I simply reminded her of a conversation we had," Diana shrugged.

Lois tilted her head and smiled. "I wasn't sure about this initially; I had my reservations, but I can see you care for her. You're a good influence."

"Thank you. It's hard not to care, she's very special."

"She is," Lois agreed. "Thank you, for everything."

"It's my pleasure, really."

Lois moved to sit next to the superhero needing to be a little closer for reasons she couldn't explain. "Can I ask you something?" she wondered as her curiosity got the better of her.

"You may," Diana said picking at an invisible piece of lint on her skirt trying not to stare at the younger woman in front of her.

"Earlier, while Kara was regaling us with her tales, you seemed wistful; sad yet happy at the same time. I don't mean to pry, but I was wondering what you were thinking?"

Diana chuckled. "Clark was right, you are a curious one," her molten chocolate eyes twinkled, and Lois found herself being drawn to the woman. "I was thinking of my home," Diana finally replied in the wistful manner that the editor had described just moments ago. "I miss it. I miss my family."

"I'm sorry," Lois suddenly felt guilty for asking and dredging up such memories. She found herself wanting to hug the superhero.

"It is not your fault that I cannot return. It was my choice, my destiny to leave. I do not regret it." Lois studied the woman in front of her. There was more to this story and she knew it. She was correct in her initial assessment, Diana was both beautiful and mysterious. The redhead found herself wanting to know everything but before she could ask, the woman across from her stood. "I should return to my hotel. I have an early flight and much to prepare," she said and called a cab.

Lois felt the disappoint rise in her but pushed it down. "I'll walk you out," she insisted. They stood outside in the warm late summer air in comfortable silence neither seemed willing to break right away. A while later, Lois heard the cab traveling up the driveway. "Thank you, again. I don't know what I'd do if you hadn't agreed to do this."

"Think nothing of it. Kara is a delight to be around. Thank you for dinner and the conversation," Diana smiled. "It was lovely."

Lois thought she saw a brief flicker of pain or guilt, but it was gone in a flash. "You're welcome," she smiled softly.

—

Diana paused before getting in the cab, she was hesitant but decided to follow her instincts. "May I call?" she wondered. Part of her wanted to be available for Kara and another part of her wanted to get to know the woman who was raising her.

Lois was surprised but agreed. "That would be nice," she smiled a little wider causing Diana's lips to turn up into a smile as well.

Diana finally got into the back of the cab and gave the driver the address of her hotel. On the ride there she lost herself in her thoughts. She felt a magnetic pull to Lois that she couldn't explain. A pull she had only ever felt once before; something she never expected to feel again. She rubbed a hand over her chest feeling her heart jump at the thought of getting to know the woman she found so intriguing. She felt slightly guilty knowing what the Justice League was about to do once they found what they had been searching for.

Clark was a colleague, not quite a friend, though he could have easily been one to her had he not died. She deeply regretted that she couldn't save him. And here she was hoping to get to know his Lois because she felt something. Guilt gnawed at her but her own desires overruled the feeling and she had asked the redhead if she could call anyway.

—

Lois stood on the porch for a long time watching the horizon even after Diana left. An unexpected flutter of excitement erupted in her chest when the woman asked if she could call. She thought she would never feel anything resembling what she had felt for Clark ever again. She thought he was it. Her one great love (other than Kara, of course). She was so lost in thought that she hadn't heard Martha behind her.

"Care to talk about it?" the older woman asked softly holding out a cup of tea. Lois attempted to gather her thoughts as she took the mug from her mother-in-law. She suddenly felt guilty. "Don't do that," Martha sighed and took her free hand giving it a light squeeze.

"I just..." tears gathered in her eyes. "I never thought..."

"I know," Martha smiled weakly and pulled her towards the bench against the house. Together they stared up at the sky. "It's okay to feel," she said gently.

"Clark was my world," she said after a while. "I loved him so much I never thought I would feel anything for anyone else. But seeing the way she cares about Kara..." Lois shook her head. "She's mysterious and I find myself drawn to her like I was to Clark. Everything about her is beautiful, Martha... I..." she sighed.

"You're scared?" Lois nodded once. "Clark would want you and Kara to be happy."

"How are you okay with this?" Lois wondered.

"Because I know how lonely it can be without someone to share your life with. If you feel even an ounce of what you felt for Clark again, you should give it a chance."

"What would I do without you?" Lois wondered.

"Let's hope we never have to find out," Martha chuckled.

"Agreed."


	9. Chapter 9

True to her word Diana called frequently. Sometimes she only spoke with Kara or Lois while on other occasions, she spoke with both of them. Neither were quite ready to fully discuss the tension or feelings between them until about a year after their initial phone call.

"Diana?" she could tell Lois was hesitant.

"Yes, Lois?" Diana urged her friend to continue. It was painful to be so close and yet so far from the redhead and it grew harder each day. She longed to be near her and Kara.

"Am I imagining things?" she wondered. "Do you feel it too?"

Diana sighed. "No, you are not imagining things. After Steve, I never imagined I would want to be with someone else. I never had the desire to. I was fine living a solitary life..." she paused. "Until I met you," the superhero admitted.

"Me too," Lois sighed. "What are we going to do?"

"I... do not know," Diana said unhelpfully.

The two of them stayed on the phone and even though they were not speaking it was comfortable. Their next conversation had gone similarly.

"What are you thinking?" Diana asked softly now that Lois had been quiet for some time.

"What are we doing? I mean, we live on opposite sides of the country for God's sake. We only see each other when we trade Kara off at the airport. You're immortal and I'm human."

"I know."

"Doesn't it bother you?"

"Of course, being away from you is a bother but there is little I can do about it. You being human does not factor into my feelings for you. I believe this is a prime example of the saying, the heart wants what the heart wants," Diana sighed.

"You're right," Lois conceded.

Diana could hear the pain in her voice. It was becoming harder and harder for them to go on like this so far apart. "Lois?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want this? Do you want to give us a chance?"

"More than anything," the redhead said sadly. "But I don't think I could do a long-distance relationship. It's already hard and we aren't more than friends, I mean we are but, you know what I mean."

Diana laughed softly at Lois' slight awkwardness. It was rather adorable. "Yes, I do," she said lightheartedly. "But you are right," Diana admitted sadly. "I do not wish to make this hard on you."

"I know, I just wish it were different. I've only ever felt this strongly about Clark. It's frustrating to not be able to do the things I want to do; to not be near you. It hurts."

"I know it does," Diana felt the redhead's pain mix with her own and sighed.

"I should hang up," Lois sighed after a while.

"Okay."

"We'll talk tomorrow?"

"Yes."

Diana laid awake after hanging up with Lois contemplating their situation yet again. They were both in pain because they wanted more than they were able to give right now. There were few things Diana could do to fix it other than up and moving across the country. Before, it hadn't made much sense but now... she was beginning to think it was the only solution.

The next day, she found herself speaking with Bruce about setting up a west coast headquarters to which he readily agreed. At his agreement, the pressure she felt in her chest seemed to disappear and she was able to breathe a little better. This lead to her confessing she would be leaving Washington.

"So, you and Lois?" Bruce inquired.

"It appears so," Diana replied.

"Do you think that is a good idea?"

"I do not know. What I do know, is that she makes my heart race, I crave to be near her and Kara, and I cannot think of any other way to ease the pain we are both in."

"Are you going to tell her what we are doing?"

"I have to," she sighed. "I cannot withhold that information from her. Not only does she have a right to know, I would not feel right lying to her like that."

"Would you wait until we find what we need?"

"No, I am sorry Bruce, but I will not lie by omission."

"How do think she will react?"

"I cannot predict that, unfortunately. I think she has worked passed his death, but it could reopen those wounds. Frankly, I am already afraid of how this will affect our impending relationship."

"Well, I sincerely hope that is not the case, my friend. The headquarters will be ready for you by the time you arrive. Let Alfred know if you require anything to assist in your move. I'll come out for a visit when I get a chance."

"Thank you for understanding."

—

Lois and Kara looked at each other with confusion when their doorbell rang. They weren't expecting anyone but when the redhead looked to Martha she just had that all knowing smirk that moms get when they know something you don't. The editor moved to get the door while Kara helped Martha with dinner. She peeked through the windows beside the door and her jaw nearly hit the floor when she saw the brunette outside on her front porch.

Lois swung the front door open and stared. The taller woman was wearing a much more casual outfit than she would usually don. Jeans, a white t-shirt, and high heeled boots complete with a leather jacket. Lois licked her lips as her eyes raked over the superhero's form.

Diana cleared her throat and Lois seemed to snap out of it. "Diana? What are you doing here?" she asked as a wide smile erupted on her lips.

"Well, the league thought it would be a good idea to set up a west coast headquarters for operations on this side of the country," she smiled.

"You moved?" Lois' eyes went wide.

"Mhm," Diana hummed and rocked forward on the balls of her feet. They stared at each other for several minutes before the brunette spoke again. "Would you like to go to dinner?" she finally asked.

Lois looked over her shoulder to see both Martha and Kara smiling brightly at her. While she knew Kara actively tried not to overhear other people's conversations, it was bound to happen occasionally. She had explained a while ago that she enjoyed Diana's company and felt something for the other woman. Kara was just ecstatic about the possibility of seeing Diana more often. Martha tilted her head towards the door with a wink.

Lois turned back to the occupant in the doorway. "Yes, I would love to go to dinner," she replied and moved aside to allow Diana to enter. "Give me ten minutes to change?"

Diana nodded and brushed by Lois, their hands touching briefly sent shivers down her spine. "Take all the time you need," she smiled and walked toward the kitchen.

"Hi Diana!" Kara yelled and hugged her tightly.

"Kara, may I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Would you mind if I dated your mother?"

"Date? As in hang out because you like each other? Like mommies and daddies do?"

"Yes, like that," Diana smiled at the eleven-year-old.

"Sure," Kara smiled and shrugged. "But you have to spend time with me too!" she added.

"No need to worry about that young one. I already like you too much. Now that I have moved here, you know that means you train with me every Friday and Saturday?"

"Awesome! Wait, can Alex come sometimes?" Kara asked with those big beautiful eyes.

"I suppose we can work something out," Diana knew she couldn't say no. "She is your best friend after all."

"She totally is," Kara agreed.

"So," Diana began when she saw Lois coming down the stairs out of the corner of her eye. "When shall I have your mother home by?"

"Well, I'm not allowed to stay up later than ten and I don't want to miss our snuggles before she tucks me in, so no later than that," Kara said sternly causing a chuckle from Martha and Lois.

Diana simply smiled. "You got it. Not a minute later than ten."

"Ready?" Lois asked with a twinkle in her eyes. Diana felt the breath leave her lungs at seeing the dark green sleeveless knee length dress that hugged Lois' curves in all the right ways.

"Wait!" Kara yelled and ran to the redhead. "I love you, mommy. Have fun but don't be late!"

"I promise," Lois smiled.

Diana took Lois to Dockside. It was a local hangout in San Diego that boasted an array of restaurants along the dock and tasty food. It was relaxed and comfortable. Afterwards, they continued walking and chatting about whatever came to mind.

She noticed Lois shiver and shrugged off her jacket before wrapping it around the redhead's shoulders. They continued to walk; their fingertips brushing lightly until Lois got up the nerve to lace their fingers together. At the end of the dock, Diana pulled Lois in front of her and wrapped her arms around a slender waist. They watched the sunset on the water before heading back to where Diana had parked her car. The ride home was filled with looks and small touches.

As the brunette pulled up the driveway, Lois sighed. She didn't want the night to end. Diana parked and told her to wait before she got out and moved to the passenger side. She opened the door and held her hand out to the editor.

"Thank you," Lois said sliding her hand into the warm feminine one in front of her.

"You are welcome," Diana smiled pulling her gently from the low seated sports car. She walked her to the door with fifteen minutes to spare.

"Well, you got me home in time," Lois smiled and leaned against the side of the house.

Diana hummed and smiled. "So, I did," she stepped closer to the redhead placing a hand under her chin. The brunette's thumb caressed the side of Lois' jaw reverently as she leaned in. She left a small amount of space for her to pull away but instead Lois pulled her closer by her belt loops as she closed the gap between them. Their lips touched gently and moved slowly against one another for several seconds before Diana pulled back and rested her forehead against Lois'.

The redhead's eyes were still closed as she commented, "Mhm, that was nice."

"Indeed," the brunette smiled.

"So, when do I get to see you again?" Lois wondered.

"Well, I will probably spend a few days getting settled in before I start work next week. I told Kara we would be training Friday and Saturday so probably when you bring her over."

"I suppose I can wait until then," Lois said playfully.

"Well, I would be happy to have you both over for dinner sometime this week. Maybe Wednesday?"

"Okay," Lois smiled. "Thank you for a wonderful evening."

"Thank you for accompanying me," Diana smiled and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before stepping back. "I look forward to seeing you Wednesday, goodnight Lois."

"Goodnight Diana."

—

Kara stood next to Lois with a drawing encased in a wooden frame held tightly against her chest and all her art supplies in her backpack. The redhead could tell her daughter was nervous, but she wasn't sure why. It wasn't like this was their first time over. In fact, Lois and Diana had now been dating for close to six months and they had stayed the night a few weeks ago much like they were doing tonight. "Kara, honey, are you alright?"

"Uh huh," the blonde nodded.

Lois was doubtful but decided not to push it and shifted their duffle bag of clothes to her other shoulder. The large wooden door opened revealing a casually dressed Wonder Woman in yoga pants and a tank top and Lois' eyes raked over her very toned body. Diana smirked and stepped aside to let them in.

"Hello, Kara," the blonde beamed though not as brightly as normal. Diana made a mental note to ask her what was wrong later. Kara was already halfway up the stairs to her art studio before Diana had a chance to say hello to Lois.

"Hi," the redhead smiled.

"Come here," Diana pulled the woman by her hips and capture her lips.

When they broke apart, Lois' eyes were still closed. "Mmh, my favorite kind of greeting," she smiled.

"I know," Diana laughed. "What is wrong with Kara?"

Lois sighed. "I don't know. She seems nervous about something."

"Hmm, well, we can discuss it at dinner. Maybe it is something with school or the assignment I gave her."

"Maybe," Lois agreed.

"How was your week?"

"Good, productive. You?"

"Same. Fifty-two art history papers to grade from the class' last assignment. I gave Kara the same assignment."

"Do you think that's why?"

Diana shrugged as they walked into the kitchen. She gave the staff the weekend off and was currently cutting up vegetables for dinner. "I doubt it, but maybe."

"Can I help with anything?" Lois offered.

"No," Diana smiled. "You worked all week, let me cook you dinner."

"Alright," the redhead sat at the island and watched the brunette work. She chopped and diced like a professional chef. Lois had to admit, it was very sexy. "What are you making?"

"Chicken Parmesan," Diana replied.

"Oh, Kara will be in heaven."

"Well, hopefully it will cheer her up."

An hour later, Lois called for Kara to set the table. The blonde was still in a mood and even Diana's culinary skills couldn't seem to get her daughter to smile. "Kara, honey, what is it?" The blonde pushed her chair back and ran from the table. The women could hear her footsteps on the stairs before they heard the door to the art studio slam. "I'll be right back."

"Love, just give her a minute," Diana reassured Lois. "She will not go long without eating." Lois sighed knowing the brunette was right. Ten minutes later Kara was back in the kitchen holding the frame she had when they arrived. "What have you got there, young one?"

"I made something for you," Kara said looking down at her feet. Diana waited patiently for the blonde to present her gift. Kara slowly walked forward, the frame bouncing against her knees, until she finally stood in front of the brunette. She very slowly turned the frame so it was facing Diana.

The gasp was audible and the superhero's eyes watered. Lois looked on in concerned confusion until she saw a look of happiness cross her lover's features. This must have been why Kara was nervous. "You did this?" Diana was awestruck.

Kara nodded. "It took a while. Did I get it right?"

Diana nodded as her fingertips lightly grazed the glass protecting the painting. "It is perfect," she finally said with a voice so full of emotion that it cracked.

Lois was curious and moved behind Diana to see it better. It was the most amazing thing she had ever seen Kara create; lovely buildings carved into stone, lush greenery, majestic waterfalls, and a brightly shining sun. "What is this place, Kara?"

"Themyscira," Diana whispered softly still in awe. The brunette continued to stare at her long-lost home for a while longer before setting the painting down carefully. "Thank you so very much, Kara. I love it and I love you," she said softly opening her arms to the girl. Kara all but jumped into her lap and Diana wrapped her arms around her tightly.

—

Diana was dreading having this conversation with Lois, but she knew the redhead deserved to know. Kara had gone to bed and they were sitting in the study. She was grading papers while Lois was working on her laptop. "Love, do you have some time to talk?" the brunette asked.

Lois looked up from her work. "Of course," she smiled and shut her laptop, so she was paying full attention to Diana.

"I..." the superhero sighed. "I am sorry for what I am about to say and my part in it. Just know that I do not agree with this plan."

"Diana? You're scaring me," Lois leaned forward with apprehension.

There was little sense in beating around the bush so Diana simple ripped the band aid off so to speak. "Bruce and a few members of the league are looking for a way to resurrect Clark."

"I... What?!" Lois shook her head. Pain and confusion took over her primary features.

Diana got up from behind her desk and walked toward the couch where Lois was sitting. "Bruce and I have noticed a growing general discontent among the populace. Criminals are bolder than before. They had a healthy fear of Superman, but they know he is no longer a threat to them. Bruce and I knew that a day would come when a great evil would try to take over our world. A few months ago, I received a warning," she explained looking down at the glass.

"A warning?"

"Do you remember when the Parthenon was ablaze?" Lois nodded. "That was my mother contacting me to let me know the Mother Box had been stolen."

"Mother Box?"

"Boxes of untold immense power that when combined can cause destruction like you have never seen. It makes World War I and World War II look like child's play," Diana stood and paced between the coffee table and fire place. "Long ago, a self-declared "New God", Steppenwolf, combined the three boxes which gave him tremendous power. Many hundreds of thousands of people were destroyed in the chaos before three species joined forces. The Amazons, Atlanteans, and Men fought side by side until Steppenwolf was defeated. He retreated leaving the boxes. Together, we broke them apart and each group was charged with concealing and protecting a box. One went to the Amazons for safekeeping on Themyscira, one went with the Atlanteans to be hidden under the sea, and one went to Men who buried it in a hole."

"And this Steppenwolf fellow has returned?"

"So, it would seem."

"Why?"

"To take over Earth as he failed to do a millennium ago. To get back into Darkseid's good graces. To be able to return to his home."

"What does this have to do with Clark and why is Bruce so adamant about resurrecting him?"

"Bruce believes Clark is essential to stopping Steppenwolf and in turn Darkseid. He's been getting visions and nightmares ever since he was a child. Before he fought with Clark, he had a dream of Superman being evil, taking over the earth, and killing at will. When he woke up, a figure appeared to him from an alternate universe in the future."

"Alternate universe?"

"It is called the multiverse. Basically, there are multiple copies, if you will, of the universe all with different fates and destinies. We believe it was the Flash who warned Bruce, though what he was trying to warn him about is unclear. All we know is that he said you were the key."

"Me?" Diana nodded. "I don't understand."

"I understand what Bruce is thinking. That Clark is the only one strong enough, powerful enough to stop what is coming. He believes that we can resurrect him using one of the Mother Boxes and the Kryptonian Scout Ship."

"You mean the ship Clark found in the arctic?"

"I believe that is the one, yes."

"This is insane!" Lois shouted and started pacing. "You don't even know what that technology will do! It could warp his mind; he might not even be the same person!"

"I know. I have expressed those very same concerns as did Arthur. Victor and Barry are both too excited and Bruce believes it is necessary."

"Are you helping him?"

"No," Diana moved to Lois. "I would never try to bring someone back from the dead. It is wrong. I understand if this changes things between us, but I felt you had a right to know."

Lois looked at her incredulously before stepping into her space and cupping her face between her palms. "This changes nothing between us, Diana. I may still love Clark because he gave me Kara but he's been gone for over twelve years," green eyes searched molten chocolate for understanding. "I'm in love with you. Clark coming back won't change that."

Diana nodded and sighed. "I love you," she said softly and pulled Lois closer. Strong arms wrapped around the redhead and she relaxed against the superhero.

"When does Bruce plan to do this?"

"When it becomes necessary."

"And when will that be?"

"When Steppenwolf attacks."

"I see why you waited for Kara to go to bed. There is no way she would have been able to tune that out. What do I tell her?"

"You do not need to tell her anything yet. We can cross that bridge when it comes," Diana said kissing the redhead's temple as she rubbed soothing circles on her back.


End file.
